Topics

When he thinks his quarterback has been clothes-lined, Jim Harbaugh won't hesitate to air his dirty laundry in public.

The San Francisco 49ers head coach hung Clay Matthews out to dry on Monday, a day after the Green Bay Packers linebacker cheap-shotted Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

On the play in question in San Francisco's 34-28 win, Kaepernick was running toward the left sideline inside the Packers' 10-yard line. He stepped out of bounds with Matthews and another Packer angling toward him.

Yet Matthews launched himself just before the sideline, crashed into a way-out-of-bounds Kaepernick shoulder-high, with his muscular right arm extended, and slammed the second-year starter hard to the ground up by the neck.

Matthews was flagged for a late hit.

"You talk about launching -- you talk about a clothes-line to the neck area, when our quarterback was out of bounds," Harbaugh said on Monday.

Harbaugh could have stopped there, but kept ramping up his accusations and shots at Matthews, both for the hit on Kap and the pushing and shoving afterward, in which Harbaugh charged that Matthews took two swipes at Niners offensive lineman Joe Staley.

"Like I said last week, usually a man will tell you his bad intentions if you just listen," Harbaugh said. "That certainly was a cheap shot -- launching, clothes-lining to the neck/head area was a bad play ... That's not legal."

Last week Harbaugh took exception to "tough talk" coming from Green Bay prior to their game, after Matthews said he'd hit Kaepernick if he carried out run fakes. Harbaugh said that sounded like targeting.

On Monday Harbaugh dispensed with coyness. He said Matthews took "one punch and one slap" at Staley's head during the post-hit melee.

"If you're going to go to the face, come with some knuckles -- not with an open slap.

"That young man works very hard on being a tough guy. He'll have some repairing to do to his image after the slap."

Harbaugh also questioned why there were "no repercussions" after the Packers bench poured over into the corner to join the melee, including "practice-squad members, coaches and players."

Don't you hope these teams meet in the playoffs again? Me too.

SPEAKING OF WHICH: The NFL's vice president of officiating, Dean Blandino, reviewed the above incident and determined Staley should not have been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Blandino essentially agreed with Harbaugh, who said after the game that Staley merely did what the Niners coaches teach their players -- to grab on to those who want to fight with both hands and don't let go.

It was the NFL's second admission of wrong-doing with regard to that infamous play. The other was in declaring that the off-setting Matthews and Staley penalties should not have resulted in a replayed (third) down, as officials ruled during the game, but rather should have been dead-ball fouls, meaning the next play should have been fourth down.

The Niners scored on the third-down do-over. Harbaugh said the Niners would have gone for it anyway had it been fourth down.

BIG LOSS FOR PATS: Tom Brady had only three receivers he could count on in the Patriots' opening-day win over Buffalo. One of them is now out for a few weeks.

Running back Shane Vereen dislocated a bone in his left wrist against the Bills, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Vereen was a force against Buffalo both in the run game -- he was the only running back in the league on Sunday to rush for 100 yards (101) -- and as a receiver, with seven grabs for 58 yards.

THE GRIM STEELERS: The Steelers ought to just build their own hospital. They lost three players for the rest of the season: LB Larry Foote (bicep), C Maurkice Pouncey (knee) and RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (knee). The club re-signed Jonathan Dwyer on Monday, the back they cut at the end of camp.

ROMO FINE, WILSON NOT: Although it appeared Cowboys QB Tony Romo might have cracked a rib or two against the Giants on Sunday night, reports said X-rays were negative. He's expected to play this week at Kansas City.

The same cannot be said of Giants running back David Wilson, who gift-wrapped 14 Dallas points with two fumbles deep in New York territory in the Cowboys' 36-31 win.

Reports said the Giants were planning to work out three running backs: ex-Giant Brandon Jacobs, former Bronco Willis McGahee and former New York Jet Joe McKnight.

Exasperated Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said multiple fumbles such as Wilson's on Sunday deflate the whole team.

"He's a very talented young man, but as I said, you just can't do that," Coughlin said. "Every time they touch you, you're going to turn the ball over?"

Not on a Tom Coughlin team you don't.

SUH IN TROUBLE AGAIN?: Despite vowing before the season that all his on-field controversies were behind him, the NFL might mete out discipline again to Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh. Or at least a fine.

In Detroit's win over Minnesota, Suh negated a pick-six by teammate DeAndre Levy because he was penalized for an illegal low block on Vikings C John Sullivan. Suh said he apologized to Sullivan at halftime.

"I wasn't by any means going for his knees," Suh said. "He knows that ... My aim was his waist, to cut him off."

TWO BILLS OUT FOR A WHILE: The Bills lost two players in Sunday's loss to the Patriots "for some time," head coach Doug Marrone said. Rookie wide receiver and kick returner Marquise Goodwin fractured a hand and underwent surgery on Monday, while backup second-year cornerback Ron Brooks was scheduled to have surgery Tuesday on an injured foot. Buffalo plays host to Carolina on Sunday.

Jim Harbaugh takes more pokes at Packers 'tough guy' Clay Matthews

When he thinks his quarterback has been clothes-lined, Jim Harbaugh won't hesitate to air his dirty laundry in public.

The San Francisco 49ers head coach hung Clay Matthews out to dry on Monday, a day after the Green Bay Packers linebacker cheap-shotted Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

On the play in question in San Francisco's 34-28 win, Kaepernick was running toward the left sideline inside the Packers' 10-yard line. He stepped out of bounds with Matthews and another Packer angling toward him.

Yet Matthews launched himself just before the sideline, crashed into a way-out-of-bounds Kaepernick shoulder-high, with his muscular right arm extended, and slammed the second-year starter hard to the ground up by the neck.

Matthews was flagged for a late hit.

"You talk about launching -- you talk about a clothes-line to the neck area, when our quarterback was out of bounds," Harbaugh said on Monday.